Everyone who knows me, knows that I buy books. Many people do, but I buy a little bit more. A teeny weeny bit more – ok, actually a lot more. Usual book purchase trips involve me walking out with shopping trolleys filled with the stuff. The most obvious question that I get asked is – …
भोगा न भुक्ता वयमेव भुक्ताः, तपो न तप्तं वयमेव तप्ताः । कालो न यातो वयमेव याताः तृष्णा न जीर्णा वयमेव जीर्णाः ॥ bhogā na bhuktā vayameva bhuktāḥ, tapo na taptaṃ vayameva taptāḥ ।kālo na yāto vayameva yātāḥ, tṛṣṇā na jīrṇā vayameva jīrṇāḥ ॥ Vairagya Shatakam by Bhartṛhari Pleasures aren’t satisfied, only we are consumed by our …
We have been trained to learn the wrong way. The system of education that we went through encouraged spoon feeding of information, with little regard to understanding concepts – a focus on rote learning with the sole objective of clearing examinations. This type of learning, frankly, requires un-learning, if we are to compete in the …
या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी |यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुने: || 69|| yā niśhā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti sanyamīyasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni sā niśhā paśhyato muneḥ What all beings consider as day is the night of ignorance for the wise, and what all creatures see as night is the day for the introspective yogi. …
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादय: |लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि || 20||यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जन: |स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते || 21|| karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥloka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasiyad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥsa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate By performing their prescribed duties, King Janak and others attained perfection. You should also perform your duties …
There is an interesting story as to how Panini, the originator of Sanskrit grammar, received knowledge from Shiva. He was supposed to be the dullest of the students in a group that was studying from a Guru in Taxila, Taksha Shila. The other boys were very intelligent. Panini was the most stupid, the least intelligent, …
How does one end up with so many things to do and so little time? Work, ideas, new projects, personal plans…the days fly past and the plans and ideas just keep coming and..well, lie in a few corners of your mind, from where they occasionally spring to life only to be summarily dismissed much like …
Students have to learn to discriminate between what is important and helpful in their educational pursuits, and onward career development, and reject the rest. If your aim is to become an engineer, your mind should be focused on seeking everything that is essential towards fulfilling that goal. If you are training to be a classical …
In India, there is no official Dance Day, but I guess we never needed it. Just a glimpse of the Nataraja, is enough to know how deep-rooted classical dance has been in our culture. The नाट्य शास्त्र, (Nāṭyaśāstra), of Bharata Muni, was compiled five centuries before Christ, and is the primary reference text for Indian classical …
अनारम्भो हि कार्याणां प्रथमं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ।आरब्धस्यान्त-गमनं द्वितीयं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ॥ १२७ ॥ anārambho hi kāryāṇāṃ prathamaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam |ārabdhasyānta-gamanaṃ dvitīyaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam || 127 || The first sign of intelligence is to not begin any task. The second sign of intelligence is to always finish a task that has been started. And so, Sthirajeevin let out a series of groans, …
